Safe drinking water

Apropos of the news report “Chlorine lacking in piped water in Valley: Survey” (THT, Oct. 28), we would like to thank The Himalayan Times for giving from time to time due importance to the important issue of drinking water quality monitoring in the Kathmandu Valley. Since 2005, NGO Forum for Urban Water & Sanitation has been involved in monitoring the amount of Free Residual Chlorine (FRC) in piped water supplied by the Nepal Water Supply Corporation in the Valley. The ultimate objective of the FRC monitoring

programme is safe drinking water supply to the public through consumer empowerment.

As NGOFUWS in itself is an advocacy-based organisation, our role is to increase public awareness through our programme results and put pressure on the concerned authorities. We are grateful for the media support in this campaign of improving the quality of drinking water in the Valley.

We believe that the problem of non-uniformity in chlorination of drinking water can be solved by making the present water treatment systems work properly. It is not impossible for the concerned authorities like the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works and Nepal Water

Supply Corporation to find a proper solution. We also express our readiness to extend our support in this matter. We also urge the consumers to demand safe and clean drinking water supply and pressurise the authorities for the same.

Besides, the long awaited Kathmandu reforms should be in place immediately.

Prakash Amatya, Executive Director, NGO Forum for Urban Water & Sanitation, Tripureswor, Kathmandu

Stay united

This is in reference to the news report “House re-established as a political centre” (THT, Nov 5). As the Maoists walked out of the government a few weeks ago, division in the

parliament was not surprising. Though their opinions are divided, the political parties should maintain their unity until our dream of building a new Nepal is fulfilled.

Dwaipayan Regmi,

Biratnagar

Come clean

This refers to the news report “FNJ announces protests against Shah’s abduction” (THT, Nov. 4). It is surprising that the government has not been able to take any action against the culprits who abducted the Bara-based journalist, Birendra Shah. But the incident has once more attracted our attention to the recent Maoist activities, which have been anything but democratic. The Maoists should understand that it is essential to win people’s trust in order to accomplish their objectives. And that can be done only if the Maoists renounce violence completely.

Shiva Neupane, Melbourne, Australia

Unmasked

The thin veil of legitimacy that Pakistan’s president Parvez Musharraf kept up to mislead the world has been torn to pieces with his declaration of emergency on Saturday. He is nothing but a dictator whose only aim is to grasp state control by bullying his opponents into submission. This is also a slap on the face of the Americans who led the international community into believing that Musharraf was slowly initiating democratic reforms.

Sajju Mainali, via e-mail